The present invention relates to pumping systems in vehicles, such as are used to pump coolant fluid to cool on-board heat-generating systems (e.g., a power source such as a battery bank and a powertrain such as engine and transmission or super-charger).
Vehicles include cooling circuits for cooling heat-generating components of a vehicle, such as a vehicle's battery bank (in electric and hybrid vehicles) and a vehicle's powertrain (e.g., antifreeze for combustion engine cooling and transmission fluid for transmissions). Traditionally, this has been done using separate pumps. However, if one of the pumps fails, the cooling circuit of that pump will be insufficient or fail, and the associated vehicle components will soon overheat.
Traditional valves could potentially be used to control flow from two pumps into one or more circuits. However, such systems require multiple valves and/or a complex valve, and also require control systems for selective actuation. A simplified system is desired that is flexible in design, effective in performance, robust and durable, yet utilizes a minimum of components and utilizes generally non-complex components.